10 Things We Don’t Like About AMACC (Treegate 5)

They Sold Out on our Memorial Tree to the Developers of the new Service Station on Anzac Ave.

In November 2016, some AMACC members including David Dwyer, met with the Developers. AMACC reported that the developer’s made a threat to go over Council’s head to get State approval, if a suitable compromise can not be found. So instead of raising their concern with State Government, in January 2017, (before the next AMACC meeting in February), David Dwyer and the AMACC Secretary gave their members 4 days notice that they would be agreeing to take the money for fear of missing out on it:

“It is not our first choice of outcomes, but if we do not accept this offer then the development will most likely go ahead and we will receive nothing.”

They never really acted like a Sub-Committee, (which was their official setup from at least 5/2/13 till 31/3/17). Instead they acted like their own club/association, including setting up their own exec committee and holding AGMs.
From as early as Jan 2013, they were set-up as a Sub-Committee of the Pine Rivers RSL Sub-Branch, and therefore should have been reportable and answerable to them.

They insisted in having their own website, separately from Pine Rivers RSL Sub-Branch, insisting AMACC “needed to have it’s own identity”. But have not appeared to update the website since 2015.

Image credit: qldrsl.org

They operated their own separate bank account, using their Sub-Committee name, from at least beginning 2013. Despite the default QLD RSL Sub-Branch Constitution, (assuming Pine Rivers RSL Sub-Branch haven’t deviated too much from this in their adopted constitution), stating:

“51.1 The funds of the association must be kept in an account in the name of the associationin a financial institution decided by the Board.”

Have been recruiting and accepting their own members (& plus asked for a membership fee), outside of the Pine Rivers RSL Sub-Branch’s members list. Even though the default RSL Sub-Branch Constitution, states that Sub-Committee members are chosen by the board, and consist of members of the association:

“34.1 The Board may appoint a subcommittee consisting of members of the association considered appropriate by the Board to help with the conduct of the association’s operations.”

The Pine Rivers Sub-branch RSL actually asked them to shut down by 31st March, 2017. Rather than comply with this request by their overarching body, AMACC went and registered “Anzac Memorial Avenue Centenary Committee” as a separate organisation, and received their own ABN from 1st April, 2017. Have they forgotten the purpose of the Sub-Committee in the first place?

Despite them acting like their own association/club (when still only a sub-committee), they still took advantage of the Pine Rivers RSL Sub-Branch name and their association registration, to apply for grants.With that in mind all money remaining that they fundraised, or received in grants should have been transferred to the RSL when they ceased to be a Sub-Committee on the 31/3/17 and started as a separate association on 1/4/17. Because ALL that money was given in good faith of them being a Sub-Committee of the RSL. Have they done this? Or have they kept the money?

Image credit: dva.gov.au

They are still using the word “Anzac” in their new registered association name “Anzac Memorial Avenue Centenary Committee”, after they no longer have ties with Pine Rivers RSL Sub-Branch. Have they got the Department of Veteran Affairs permission to use the word “Anzac”?

They had the nerve to pass a ‘vote of no confidence’ in the Pine Rivers RSL Sub-Branch, in a AMACC meeting in March 2017. Despite the fact THEY, AMACC, are the ones who HAVE NOT been running as a proper Sub-Committee.

They aren’t even the custodian’s of the Anzac Memorial Trees now. One has to question if they ever were. So if they accept money for it now, they will be committing fraud.